Hand guard for gymnasts and others



April 20, 1965 1.. PERSCHKE HAND GUARD FOR GYMNASTS AND OTHERS Filed March 18, 1963 INVENTOR. LOU/S PERSGHKE HIS ATTQR/VEYS United States Patent 3,178,724 HAND GUARD FOR GYMNASTS AND OTHERS Louis Perschke, 616 Richmond St., El Cerrito, Calif. Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,927 8 Claims. (Cl. 2-16) My invention relates to equipment for use by gymnasts and others, and more particularly, to hand guards or grips such as worn by gymnasts to protect the hands against blisters or friction burns while performing.

Among the objects of my invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved hand guard for use by gymnasts and others as a protection against blisters or friction burns;

(2) To provide a novel and improved hand guard characterized by its simplicity of pattern;

(3) To provide a novel and improved hand guard capable of being readily applied to the hand and quickly removable;

(4) To provide a novel and improved hand guard which may be shifted with ease from one position across the palm to another;

(5) To provide a novel and improved hand guard of one-piece construction;

(6) To provide a novel and improved hand guard which is self-conforming in use, and accordingly, will fit the wearer more comfortably and function more effectively; and

(7) To provide a novel and improved hand guard which will resist tearing or mutilation when exposed to the stresses and strains encountered in use.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a frontal View depicting the manner of application of the hand guard of FIGURE 1, and illustrating its ability to conform to the hand of the wearer.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the hand guard depicted in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view depicting the hand guard of the present invention as manufactured for sale; and

Referring to the drawings for a description of the invention in its preferred form, the hand guard depicted therein is fabricated from a strip 1 of flexible material, preferably one having a friction gripsurface 3; leather being preferred in that it can, not only be soft and flexible, but it has the ability to stretch and twist or give, in response to repeated stresses and strains, and its rough side not only offers desirable gripping characteristics, but pro-per texture for holding magnesium carbonate powder which is customarily rubbed on the palms by gymnasts, in the performance of their stunts.

Such strip of material is provided with a finger hole 5 adjacent one end thereof, while the opposite end of the strip is cut longitudinally to form a slit 7 to a point spaced from the finger hole 5, preferably by a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and ones wrist, to form a pair of wrist straps 9 and 11, and a palm protecting section 12.

A buckle 13 is affixed to the free end of one of these wrist straps, and if the buckle is of the type having a tongue, then the other of said wrist straps will be provided with a series of perforations 15 longitudinally spaced to permit of adjustment in the conventional manner.

In applying the hand guard, one of the fingers is inserted through the finger hole, with the guard extending across the palm of the hand toward the wrist, and with the guard in this position, the straps are turned or twisted to bring them about the wrist of the wearer, where they will be properly adjusted and buckled. The guard as thus applied is secure against displacement or loss during use.

When made of a single piece of material as illustrated and described, as distinguished from fabricating the same from two or more pieces which requires stitching, the probability of tearing apart in use is elfectively eliminated.

A slit or cut 19 in the edge formed by the finger hole 5, and preferably longitudinally of the hand guard, will not only facilitate the insertion and removal of ones finger through the finger hole, but will permit the hand guard to accommodate fingers of different diameters, and at the same time, enable the hand guard to more readily conform to the contour of the palm over the area of engagement, when the hand guard is in use.

Further, and in the interest of enabling the hand guard to more effectively withstand stresses and strains, and impart greater flexibility and adaptability of the wrist straps to twist and conform to the contour of the palm and wrist over which they extend, the slit 7 which results in the formation of the two wrist straps, is caused to terminate in a small opening 21, such opening, not only precluding concentration of stresses at this point, but will facilitate the twisting and turning of the straps to smoothly encircle the wrist and snugly follow the contour of those areas of the palm and wrist over which they lie.

The stretchability and ability of the material to give, in response to repeated stress and strain, will enable the hand guard to accommodate itself to the hand of the wearer, causing the hand guard to effectively custom fit itself to the user.

Should the wearer decide to shift the hand guard from one finger to another, so as to cover a different area of the palm, it will be appreciated that this shift may very easily be accomplished with the hand guard of the present invention.

One could if desired, in the making of this hand guard, utilize a strip of material of sufficient Width to accommodate a pair of finger holes whereby a greater area of the palm, if desired, can be protected during use of the device, though the single finger embodiment illustrated and described above, is ample in most all cases.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of my invention in its preferred form, that the same fulfills all the objects attributed thereto, and while I have illustrated and described the same in its preferred form, it will be appreciated that the device as illustrated and described is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and I accordingly, do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible material, said strip having a finger hole adjacent one end,

a longitudinal slit bifurcating said strip from the other end of said strip to a point spaced from said finger hole a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and wrist, to form a pair of contiguonsly disposed straps,

said strip being of sufficient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encircling ones wrist,

and means for adjustably joining the free ends of said straps.

2. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible material,

said strip having a finger hole adjacent one end,

a longitudinal slit in the edge formed by said hole, and

a longitudinal slit bifurcating said strip from the other end of said strip to a point spaced from said finger hole a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and wrist,to form apairof contiguously V being of sufficient length to providestraps adapted '1 V 'to cooperate in encircling ones Wrist, and means for adjustably joining the free ends of said straps. v V 3. Ahand guard comprising a strip of flexiblematerial, said strip having a finger hole adjacent one end, a longitudinalslit in the edge formed by said hole, and a longitudinal slit bifurcating said strip from the other end of said strip to a point spaced from saidv finger hole a distance approaching the; distance between ones fingerand wrist, to form a pair of contiguously disposedstraps, 7 said point being defined by a small hole and said strip being of sufiicient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encircling ones wrist, 7 and a buckle afiixed to the free end of one of said straps.

4. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible friction grip material, said strip having a finger hole adjacent one end, a longitudinal slit in the edge formed by said hole, and a longitudinal slit bifurcating said strip from the otherv end of said strip to a point spaced from said finger hole. a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and Wrist, to form a pair of contiguously disposed wrist straps, said point being defined by a small being of sufficient .length to provide straps adapted ,to cooperate in encircling ones wrist,

hole and said strip a buckle aifixed to the free end of one of said straps, I

and the other of said straps having a plurality of buckle holes spaced longitudinally thereof. 1

5. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible material,

said strip having a finger hole adjacent one end, I

a longitudinal slit from a point spaced firom'said finger hole a distance approaching the distance between ones finger-Hand wrist, to and through the other end of said strip to form a pair of contiguously disposed straps, 7

said strip of flexible material being of sufficient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encirclingones wrist, I a t and means for adjus-t'ably joining the free ends of said straps.

6. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible material,

t a buckle afiixed to the 4 said strip having V a fingerhole adjacent one end, i a longitudinal slit in the edge formed by said hole, a small hole spaced from said finger hole a distance wrist, and t t t a longitudinal slit from said small hole to and through the other end of said strip to form a pair of conti'guously disposedstraps,

said strip of flexible material being of sufiicient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encircling ones wrist," .3 a a v andmeans for adjustably joining thefree ends of said straps. Y t 1 7. Ahand guardcomprising a strip of flexible material,

said strip-having a a finger hole adjacent one end, V

a longitudinal slit in the edge formed by said hole,

a small hole spaced from said finger hole a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and wrist,'and V t 'a longitudinal slit from said small hole to and through V the other end of sai-d st'rip to form a pair of contiguously disposed straps,

said strip of flexible material being of suflicient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encircling .ones wrist, 3 r V and a buckle aflixed to the free end of one of said straps.

8. A hand guard comprising a strip of flexible friction grip material, said strip having 7 a finger hole adjacent one end, 7

a longitudinal slit in the edge formed by said hole,

a small hole spaced from said finger. hole a distance approaching the distance between ones finger and wrist, and

a'longitudinal slit from said small hole to and through the other end of said strip toform a' pair of contiguously disposed straps,

' sai-distrip of flexible material being of sufiicient length to provide straps adapted to cooperate in encircling ones wrist, I

V free end of one of said straps,

and the other of said straps having a plurality of buckle holes spaced longitudinally thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,328 '8/48 Gerrits 2-16 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner,

approaching the. distance between ones finger and. 

1. A HAND GUARD COMPRISING A STRIP OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, SAID STRIP HAVING A FINGER HOLE ADJACENT ONE END, A LONGITUDINAL SLIT BIFURCATING SAID STRIP FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID STRIP TO A POINT SPACED FROM SAID FINGER HOLE A DISTANCE APPROACHING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ONE''S FINGER AND WRIST, TO FORM A PAIR OF CONTIGUOUSLY DISPOSED STRAPS, SAID STRIP BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PROVIDE STRAPS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE IN ENCIRCLING ONE''S WRIST, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY JOINING THE FREE ENDS OF SAID STRAPS. 